Stapler for endoscopes

ABSTRACT

A stapling device for a surgical endoscopic device provided with at least one flexible portion, comprising a staple-firing portion and an anvil portion, wherein one of the staple firing portions and one of the anvil portions are located longitudinally displaced from one another along the longitudinal axis of the endoscopic device, with at least a part of said flexible portion between them. The parts of the stapling device are in correct working relationship when one or more alignment and/or locking pins or screws that are stored in one of the staple firing portions or one of the anvil portions are extended and engage and lock or screw into receptacles that have been provided on the other of the staple firing portion or of the anvil portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to the following applications: Thisapplication is a continuation application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/062,077, filed on Feb. 18, 2005 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,128,645;which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/030,018,filed on Sep. 11, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,214; which is a nationalstage submission under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International PatentApplication PCT/IL01/00719, filed on Aug. 2, 2001; and which claimspriority from Israel Application No. 139788, filed on Nov. 20, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to endoscopic apparatus. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a stapler which is part of anapparatus and a method for using this apparatus to perform endoscopicsurgical procedures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, surgeons have been increasingly using surgical staplesinstead of conventional sutures. Surgical staples and surgical staplinginstruments have made many difficult procedures much simpler to perform,and significantly reduced the time required to perform them, thusallowing the patient to spend less time under general anesthesia.

In general, modern surgical stapling instruments for use on internalorgans and tissues are comprised of a head containing a cartridge whichholds the staples and a mechanism for ejecting the staples out of thecartridge, either sequentially or simultaneously, and driving themthrough the tissue. Tropically, on the other side of the tissues to bestapled, there is an anvil, which deforms the staples into the shaperequired to hold the tissues together. The head and anvil together formthe distal stapling portion of the instrument. There is a proximalportion which houses the actuator mechanism for firing the staples, andthe mechanism for bringing the anvil and head to the desired distanceand keeping them exactly aligned.

Many types of surgical stapling instruments have been devised fordifferent surgical procedures. Typical designs of basic surgicalstaplers are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,570 and U.S.Pat. No. 5,630,541. U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,836 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,443disclose staple designs in which the staple dispensing part and theanvil are separated.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,326, Harrison, et. al. describe apparatus and amethod for performing fundoplication of the stomach to the esophagus.The procedure involves introducing three separate devices, an endoscope,an esophageal manipulator, and a stapler through incisions in the skininto the stomach of the subject. The stapler consists of movable jaws atthe operating end connected to a handle by an elongated body. One of thejaws contains the staples and the other the anvil. The stapler isintroduced into the stomach, positioned with the tissue to be joinedbetween its jaws and the staples are fired by pressing on a buttonlocated on the handle.

Bolanus, et. al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,116 another method ofperforming the fundoplication. In their method, a remotely operableinvagination device is introduced transorally into the stomach throughthe esophagus. After manipulating and clamping the tissue of the fundusand the lower esophagus in the desired manner, a second instrument, aremotely operable fastening device, is introduced. The fastening deviceconsists of a handle containing various levers, etc. to actuate thedevice an elongated flexible portion of sufficient length to reach theposition at which the operation is to take place, and a stapler at thedistal end of the elongated portion.

The stapler is comprised of a cartridge frame, which contains astaple-containing cartridge and the mechanism for ejecting the staplesfrom the cartridge, and an anvil pivotally connected to the distal endof the cartridge frame. To carry out the procedure, the fastening deviceis inserted with the anvil closed to a point beyond that at which thestapling is to be carried out. The anvil is then allowed to be pivotedopen and the fastening device is moved proximally, capturing the tissueto be stapled between the staple cartridge and the anvil. Using thelevers on the handle the anvil is again closed clamping the tissue to befastened. Staple ejectors are then activated driving the staples out ofthe cartridge, through the tissue, and against the anvil where they arebent into the desired shape. The anvil is again biased open, thefastening device is moved distally to free it from the tissue, the anvilis again closed, and the device is withdrawn.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,649 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,030 describe surgicalstaplers that have been developed for connecting the severed edges oftubular tissue such as that of the intestines.

Many other stapler designs are disclosed in the prior art. Many of theseare specialized devices that are suitable for performing only the typeof procedure for which they have been designed. Most of these are verydifficult and time consuming to work with, requiring a great deal ofskill to manipulate the tissues and the stapling device.

A basic consideration in the design of all staplers is the fact that ittakes a substantial force to bend the staples. Consequently, at the timethe staples are fired, the anvil and the head must be clamped rigidlytogether, or the force will cause them to separate, and the staples willnot fully bend. In addition, for the staples to bend to the shaperequired to hold the tissues together, the anvil and the stapledispensing part must be aligned precisely. Because of these limitations,the distal stapler holding and anvil portions of the device aretypically rigidly pivotally connected together in existing staplers. Instaplers where the anvil and staple dispensing parts are separate,clamping is done manually at the desired location for stapling, whichoften necessitates physical manual contact with the tissues to bestapled together.

With current stapling methods, it is impossible to hold theaforementioned parts rigidly together unless they are rigidly orpivotally connected at the time of placement.

It is highly desirable to have a totally flexible connection between theanvil and staple dispensing portions of the instrument. In laparoscopicor open operations, a totally flexible connection will allow stapling inhard-to-reach places. Moreover, a totally flexible stapling instrumentcould be combined with a flexible endoscope, which will permit theinstrument to be passed through natural orifices, such as the mouth,anus, or vagina. Any number of procedures could then be performedwithout the need to fully anesthetize the patient, and without openingthe abdomen. A non-exhaustive list includes: removal of broad-basedcolonic polyps and small cancers; endoscopic treatment ofgastresophageal reflux disease (GERD), and full thickness biopsies ofgastric lesions. All of which are hitherto often performed under theinfluence of a general anesthetic.

Because of the need to hold the anvil part and the staple dispensingpart of the stapler together, a totally flexible connection is notpractical, using existing methods.

It is an object of this invention to provide a surgical stapler whichovercomes the drawbacks of prior art by providing a totally flexibleconnection between the staple holder and the anvil parts, at the time ofinsertion and placement at the surgical site, yet holding the stapledispensing part and the anvil part rigidly together and in precisealignment at the time of the firing of the staples.

It is another purpose of the invention to combine a stapling device madeof two separate parts with a flexible endoscope, to achieve aninstrument that can be used to endoscopically perform a variety ofsurgical procedures.

It is a further purpose of this invention to provide a device forperforming endoscopic surgical procedures that improves over the devicesof prior art in its ease of operation.

It is yet another purpose of the invention to provide a stapling devicethat is particularly suitable for use in a flexible endoscope for thetreatment of GERD by fundoplication.

Other purposes and advantages of this invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention is directed towards providing a staplingdevice for a surgical endoscopic device provided with at least oneflexible portion, comprising a staple-firing portion and an anvilportion, wherein one of said staple firing portions and one of saidanvil portions are located longitudinally displaced from one anotheralong the longitudinal axis of said endoscopic device, with at least apart of said flexible portion between them.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the staple firingportion is located proximately to the proximal end of the flexibleportion and the anvil portion is located on the distal end or tip of theflexible portion, although the positions of the two portions can beinterchanged.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexibleportion is an articulation section. According to one embodiment of theinvention, the stapling assembly comprises one or more alignment and/orlocking pins that can be extended or retracted from one part of thestapling assembly into a locking position in the second part of thestapling assembly. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention,the motion of the alignment and/or locking pins is accomplished byemploying a dual rack and single pinion system.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the parts ofthe stapling device are in correct working relationship when twoalignment and/or locking pins that are stored in the anvil portion areextended and engage and lock into receptacles on the staple firingportion.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the alignment and/orlocking pins are replaced by screws that are rotated by an arrangementof gears actuated by rotation of a screw drive cable. The parts of thestapling device are in correct working relationship when two screws thatare stored in the anvil portion are extended and engage and screw intoreceptacles on the staple firing portion.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, theendoscope employs a two-way articulation system. In this case,completely bending the articulation section using a fixed radius ofcurvature brings the two portions of the stapler into alignment.

In another embodiment, a four-way articulation section is used. In thiscase a positioning assembly comprising two separate elements, one ofwhich is located near to the staple-ejecting portion, and the other nearto the anvil portion, is provided to assist in bringing the parts of thestapling device into correct working relationship. The positioningassembly can employ ultrasonic, light, radio frequency, piezoelectric,or magnetic sources and detectors.

The staple firing portion comprises a staple cartridge containing one ora plurality of arrays of staples. Each array consists of one or aplurality of staples. The arrays of staples are fired by staple pushersactuated by cams actuatable by proximal means. The staple cartridge isindexable after the firing of each of the arrays of staples by theaction of a proximal actuating device.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are either two orthree arrays of staples and there are five staples in each array. Ofcourse other arrangements with a different number of arrays and/or ofstaples can be provided. Windows are preferably provided on each side ofthe staple cartridge, to assist in locking it in place after indexing.

Preferably, but non-limitatively, the device of the invention comprisessafety means for disabling the operation of the staple-ejecting devicewhen the two separate elements of the positioning assembly are notaligned.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the alignment and/or lockingpins are manufactured such that the pin tips can be broken by the forceexerted by the operator, e.g., a force applied on the mechanism designedfor unbending the articulation section.

All the above and other characteristics and advantages of the inventionwill be further understood through the following illustrative andnon-limitative description of preferred embodiments thereof, withreference to the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional endoscope;

FIG. 2A schematically illustrates the fixed portion and the articulationdistal portion of an endoscope, comprising a stapler consisting of ananvil portion and a staple ejecting portion containing three arrays ofstaples, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B schematically illustrates the articulation of the endoscope ofFIG. 2A through its maximum bending angle;

FIG. 2C schematically illustrates the fixed portion and the articulationdistal portion of an endoscope, comprising a stapler consisting of ananvil portion and a staple ejecting portion containing two arrays ofstaples, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3A schematically illustrates the distal tip of an endoscope,provided with a receptacle for the anvil section of a stapler, accordingto a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3B shows the distal tip of the endoscope of FIG. 3A, with the anvilmodule of the stapler assembly in place;

FIG. 4A is a cross-section showing the internal parts of the disposableanvil unit, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4B is a cross-section similar to that of FIG. 4A showing theinternal parts of the disposable anvil unit, according to anotherpreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4C shows the face of the anvil unit of FIG. 4A or FIG. 4B;

FIGS. 5A and 5B schematically show side and front views respectively ofthe staple cartridge holder according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 6A shows the layout of the cartridge holder body of FIGS. 5A and5B;

FIG. 6B is a cross-section taken along the A-A plane of the cartridgeholder body of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6C is a face view showing the fixed portion of the endoscopecontaining a staple cartridge with two arrays of staples;

FIG. 7 shows the activation cam subassembly of the stapler cartridge ofFIG. 6A;

FIG. 8A is a side view of the cartridge body of FIG. 6A, showing anactivation cam;

FIGS. 8B, 8C, and 8D illustrate the firing of the staples;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are respectively side and top schematic views of thehousing of the stapler cartridge;

FIG. 10A shows a link of the articulation section of an endoscope:

FIG. 10B shows the connection between two of the links shown in FIG.10A.

FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C schematically illustrate the mechanicalprocedure involved in the fundoplication using a device according to theinvention;

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates the positioning of the device prior tostapling;

FIG. 13 is a biter, used to hold the endoscope in the mouth of thepatient;

FIG. 14A shows the staple configuration before firing, typicalillustrative dimensions being also indicated;

FIG. 14B shows the staple configuration after firing;

FIG. 15A schematically illustrates the stapling procedure showing thelocking needles deployed from the anvil and locked into the staplecartridge;

FIG. 15B schematically illustrates the stapling procedure showing thesituation after the staples have been fired and the locking needleswithdrawn;

FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the fixed portionand the articulation distal portion of an endoscope, comprising astapler consisting of an anvil portion and a staple ejecting portioncontaining two arrays of staples;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of an anvil unit, showing theprincipal components of the replaceable part of the anvil unit,according to another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the principalfeatures of the cartridge and anvil sections of the stapler according toa preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18B illustrates the arrangement of gears used to rotate the screwsin a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 18C illustrates the clutch assembly that allows the screws toadvance and be retracted in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention will now be further explained through the illustrative andnon-limitative description of preferred embodiments. A conventionalendoscope is illustrated in FIG. 1. This endoscope comprises severalfeatures, such as the operating switches, the angulation lock, etc.,that may be present in the device of the invention, but that will not bedescribed in detail in the description to follow, because they areconventional and well known to the skilled person. Thus, in thefollowing description only elements needed to illustrate the inventionwill be described. Briefly, however, the endoscope illustrated in FIG. 1and generally indicated at 10, is provided with a control section 11provided with suction valves, locks, switches, etc., switches 2-5 beingmarked for illustration purposes. It also comprises a connector section6, used to connect air and water inlets, light guides, etc., the lightguide being indicated at 7, for illustration purposes. The insertiontube 8 consists of three separate sections: a flexible portion 9, anarticulation section 12 and a distal end 13. The articulation section isshown in greater detail in FIG. 2A, which also indicates the distal tip24 in which the distal end 13 resides.

Looking now at FIG. 2A, the distal portion of an endoscope embodying astapler, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention isschematically shown. This portion comprises a staple firing mechanismindicated at 21 and an articulating section 22, and the distal tip 24.The section 12 of FIG. 1 is composed of the sections 22 and 24.

An endoscope that can operate together with a stapler according to theinvention will now be described in greater detail.

Articulating section 22 is similar in design to that of conventionalendoscopes, but in this example possesses several unique features. Inorder to simplify the alignment procedure and at the same time achievemaximum accuracy, a two-way articulation design has been chosen. Thismeans that the articulating section is constrained to bend in onedirection only (i.e. the tip of the endoscope can only bend fromstraight ahead to one side and back in a relatively fixed plane).Secondly, the device is able to bend up to 270° in order to carry outthe required medical procedure, which is further than in conventionalendoscopes. Finally, the articulating section is strong enough toprovide a significant force against the tissues during fundus distension(described below with reference to the illustrative surgical procedure),clamping, and stapling. Of course, the stapler of the invention can beused with a variety of endoscopic devices, and is not limited to be usedwith any particular endoscope.

The main features of the articulating section of the endoscope are shownin FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B. A typical link of the articulation section isgenerally shown as 101 in 10A. Each link is fabricated with a pair ofcircular lugs 102 with outer surfaces flush with the outer surface ofthe Link at one end and a second pair of lugs 103 that are recessed bythe thickness of lugs 102 at the second end. Each of said lugs ispierced by a hole 104. Four holes 105 are drilled in the link walls forthe cables that are needed for articulation. A hollow region 106 throughthe center of each link allows the passage of optical, illumination,suction, etc. channels to the distal tip of the endoscope.

FIG. 10B shows the connection between two of the links of FIG. 10A. Thepair of lugs 102 of the first link is slipped over the recessed lugs 103of the second link. A swivel pin 107 is inserted through holes 104 inthe lugs and retaining clips 108 may be added to complete the assembly.In another particular preferred embodiment of the device, retainingclips 108 are not provided.

Design parameters such as the length of the links, clearance (maximumbending angle) between links, and radius and maximum angle of curvatureof the entire section determine the number of links that are joinedtogether to form the articulation section. The outside ends of the firstand last links are designed to interface with the rest of the endoscopeand its distal tip, respectively.

The swivel pins contain cross-holes for the cables which must passthrough them. These cross-holes and cables are not shown in FIGS. 10Aand 10B.

In a preferred endoscope, the articulation section uses one pair ofcables (or a single cable wrapped around a wheel located at the proximalend of the endoscope) for actuating the articulation. One cable passesthrough the hole in the link wall on the inside of the bending are, andbends the endoscope into the beat position. The second cable is locatedopposite the first one, and unbends the section. The actuation mechanismis well known to persons skilled in the art, and need not be describedhere.

In another embodiment of the invention, a stapler is used together witha four-way articulation system. In a four-way system the tip of theendoscope can be moved in two mutually perpendicular planes. This givesmore degrees of freedom of movement, but complicates the alignmentprocedure and necessitates the use of one of the alignment systems to bedescribed below. Four-way systems are well known in the art andtherefore will not be described here, for the sake of brevity.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the staplercartridge is positioned at the proximal end of the articulation section,22. The stapler deployment system has a side firing design and requiresan anvil which is located on the end of the distal tip. Both the staplercartridge and the anvil module are replaceable and fit into receptacleson the shaft and distal tip. These receptacles are labeled 1 and 1Arespectively in FIG. 2A. The stapling elements at 1 and 1A, together,form the entire stapling assembly, to be discussed in greater detailbelow.

FIG. 2B schematically shows the device of FIG. 2A in a fully articulatedposition. The articulation section 22 has been bent through bendingangle α using fixed radius of curvature “r”. The values of radius “r”and the length of the articulation section are determined by the fixedvalues “l” (length of the rigid distal tip) and “y” (the distance fromthe position at which the stapling is to be carried out to the proximalend of the articulation portion of the endoscope) in such a way thatarticulation of the device completely brings the two parts of thestapler assembly exactly into alignment.

FIG. 2C is the same as FIG. 2B for a different embodiment of theinvention with illustrative, but not limitative, dimensions indicated.FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C all show the stapler cartridge in the first firingposition.

FIG. 3A schematically shows the distal tip of the endoscope (section 24in FIG. 2A). The disposable anvil module of the stapler assembly goesinto a receptacle schematically shown at 32. Two round reusable plungersand seals are part of the anvil holder and are shown at 31. A channelfor suction, irrigation, or any other purpose is shown at 35. Theimaging channel is 34 and 33 represents illumination fibers.

The skilled person will understand that other options can be providedand other configurations are allowed depending on the requirements ofthe endoscopic procedure to be performed. As one example, a transducer,receiver, or reflector can be placed at one of positions 33 for use inultrasound positioning as described below.

FIG. 3B shows the distal tip of FIG. 3A with the anvil unit 36 in place.Numerals 33, 34, and 35 represent the same parts shown in FIG. 3A.Numeral 37 designates the holes through which the alignment and/orlocking pins exit the anvil unit and 38 the depressions on the anvilunit face for curling the staples.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross sections showing the internal parts of thedisposable anvil unit that are needed to explain its operation. Twodifferent systems are depicted in these figures.

In FIG. 4A, the actuator mechanism 43 is employed to advance and retractthe retention/locator pins. FIG. 4B depicts another preferred system.Within the support housing is located a dual rack 44 and single pinion45 system to provide the desirable motion of the two retention/locatorpins 41. Numeral 38 designates the depressions in the face of the anvilwhich cause the curling of the staples. The face of the anvil, showingthe pattern of five staples used in the preferred embodiment of theinvention, is shown in FIG. 4C. In this figure, 38 represents thedepressions for curling the legs of the staples, and 37 are the holesthrough which the retention/location pins are projected. In FIG. 4A,numeral 31 designates the plungers that are part of the anvil holder andnot of the disposable anvil unit.

The second part of the stapler consists of a staple cartridge holderwith disposable stapler cartridge located in the fixed portion of theendoscope shaft, proximate to the articulation section in the preferredembodiment of the invention. FIG. 5A is a side view and FIG. 5B is afront view that schematically show those parts that are located at 1 inFIG. 2A. The staple cartridge holder 51 consists of a tube ofappropriate inside and outside diameters with a cutout in the profile.Within, the cutout is fitted with a piece of formed sheet metal (notshown) that forms a hermetic seal and retains the disposable staplecartridge 53 in the appropriate location with accurate index locationsfor the transfer of the staple cartridge for subsequent firings.

Attached to the tube and sheet metal subassembly is a plunger guidecomplete with a seal fitted with a plunger (collectively designated bythe numeral 52). The plunger fires an array of staples when pulled in aproximal direction and then indexes the staple cartridge to the nextposition by a push motion in the distal direction.

The disposable cartridge case contains two subassemblies, the cartridgebody that is illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B and the activation camsubassembly that is illustrated in FIG. 7A.

Referring to FIG. 6A, the staple cartridge is made of stainless steel orother suitable material such as a suitable plastic and consists of thecartridge body (generally indicated at 61) that, in a preferredembodiment of the experiment, retains three arrays each composed of fivestaples 63 and their respective pushers (shown in FIGS. 6B and 8A) at anappropriate distance. With each array of staples are two holes 64complete with latches and springs, to bias the latches in the desirabledirection for latching onto the location/retention pins that protrudeform the anvil. Three windows 62, that are needed for indexing thecartridge, are present in each side of the cartridge body.

FIG. 6B is a cross-section of the cartridge body of FIG. 6A, taken alongthe A-A, plane, that schematically shows the major elements in thissubsystem. In the figure, the numeral 64 designates the holes shown inFIG. 6A. This view shows schematically the beveled entrance to eachhole, that allows for easier entrance of the pin into the hole andtherefore pulls the two portions of the stapler into exact alignment asthe pin enters the hole. The middle staple of the array is designated63, and its pusher is indicated by the numeral 66. Numeral 65 designatesthe pawl and numeral 68 the leaf spring, the function of which is tolock the location/retention pin in place during the firing of thestaples. In FIG. 6B, the numeral 69 designates the pivot of the latchingpawl and a cutout in the pusher for the cam is shown at 67.

The cartridge has a sheet metal housing that encases it on the threesides and holds the cartridge together and keeps all the activation camsin place. The housing is shown in a side view in FIG. 9A and in a topview in FIG. 9B. It has two angled portions 91 that lock into one set ofwindows on the cartridge housing, to prevent the cartridge from movingproximally while the cams fire an array of staples, and which are thenused for accurate location to the next position when indexing distally.

The activation cam subassembly, shown generally in top view at 72 inFIG. 7, consists of three angular cams 70 that activate the staplepushers 66 that fire the staples 63 in FIG. 8A. FIG. 8A is a side viewthat shows the relationship between these elements. The three cams 70are welded or otherwise retained to a cross member 73. The outside twoof those cams also have tails that are formed slightly to ratchet intoposition in the cartridge for indexing into the next position.

Two other components 71, in FIG. 7, exist on the extreme outside. Theseare devices the function of which is to release the locking pawls andthus free the alignment/retention pins after firing of the array ofstaples. They are not welded to the cam assembly due to spaceconstraints and because a dwell is required prior to initial movement.They are activated by the cross member 73 that is part of the camassembly.

While in the above description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention, a staple cartridge containing three pairs of windows forindexing and three cams for firing three arrays of five staples each isdescribed, it should be clear that other embodiments can be providedcontaining different numbers of arrays and different numbers of staplesper array, depending on the requirements of the procedure that is to beperformed.

FIGS. 2C and 6C illustrate another preferred embodiment of theinvention. In this embodiment the stapler cartridge contains two arrayseach composed of five staples and their respective pushers. Two windowsare present in each side of the cartridge body, to aid in indexing thecartridge. All the rest of the parts in the cartridge are as describedabove for the embodiment containing three arrays. It should also beunderstood by the man of the art that the positions of the staplerdeployment system and the anvil can be interchanged and that theelements of the stapler can be located at different positions along thelong axis of the endoscope. For example, one part of the stapler systemcan be located proximally from the connection between the articulationand flexible sections within the flexible shaft of the endoscope. It iseven possible, in certain cases to reduce the radius of curvature of thedevice by placing the staple cartridge on one of the links of thearticulation section, for example, if only one array of staples is to befired.

The detailed description of the way in which the stapler systemfunctions will be given below with the schematic description of atypical surgical operation that can be performed using the device of theinvention, i.e. the fundoplication operation designed for the treatmentof GERD.

Positioning markings 23 may be located on the device (as indicated inFIG. 2A), at the extremity outside the patient, to provide informationon the location of the device that has been introduced into the patient.

Endoscopic vision means can also be provided. FIGS. 3A and 3Bschematically show the distal tip of the endoscopic device. Regions 33are the illumination channels, 34 is the image channel, and 35 is theirrigation/suction/ultrasound channel. Placement of imaging means at thedistal tip assists in guiding the device to the desired position in thebody lumen and allows imaging of the area during the performance of thesurgical procedure. A second optical image can be provided. This imagewill be a view through a clear portion of the stapler and will show thestaples as they are passed through the tissue and bent closed. Opticalsystems of conventional endoscopic apparatus can be employed. Theendoscope may contain two or more separate optical channels that producetwo or more distinct views. Preferred endoscopic optical systems aredescribed in copending International Patent Application PCT/IL01/00238,Filed on Mar. 12, 2001 by the same applicant hereof, the description ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference. However, the specific opticalsystem employed is not relevant to the present invention, and manydifferent optical systems may be provided by persons skilled in the art,and used together with the apparatus of the invention.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention described above, thealignment of the two separated parts of the stapler is accomplished bystrictly mechanical means made possible by the use of a fixed radius ofcurvature and precise design and manufacture of the stapler andarticulation section of the endoscope. In some alternative embodimentsof the invention, however, it may be necessary to provide an aligningassembly consisting of two elements, one located near each of theportions of the stapler that, when brought into an alignment, assurethat the portions of the stapler assembly are aligned and thereforepermit the actuation of the stapler. According to one preferredembodiment of the invention, the elements of the positioning assemblyare ultrasonic elements, i.e., an ultrasound transducer and a receiveror, alternatively a transducer and a reflector. A simple, well known tothe person skilled in the art, analysis of the ultrasound signalreceived at the receiver makes it possible to determine the maximalsignal, which corresponds to the exact alignment or, alternatively, tomeasure the distance between the transducer and receiver or reflector.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, one of theelements of the positioning assembly emits light and the other is aphotosensitive element that translates the received light into a signal.Again, the maximal intensity of the signal indicates the maximalalignment.

According to still another embodiment of the invention, one of theelements of the positioning assembly is a piezoelectric transducer, andthe other is a simple protrusion. Application of pressure by theprotrusion on the piezoelectric transducer, via the thin tissue,generates an electric signal which, again, can be analyzed to determineits maximal value.

As will be appreciated by the skilled person, many other methods andsystems can be devised for verifying the alignment of the system. Forinstance, using RF signals to determine the alignment position, or usinga magnetic field generator on the one part, and a magnetic fieldpositioning sensor on the other part. It should be mentioned that, incertain types of positioning assemblies, e.g., if it were desired toemploy an RF assembly, it is not at all necessary that the two elementsof the assembly be physically aligned viz., such that their physicalcenters are essentially aligned. When the alignment procedure does notrely on a physical, center-to-center matching, the two elements could bepositioned differently on the two sections of the device, provided thatwhen they generate an output signal representative of maximal alignment,elements 1 and 1A (FIG. 2A) of the stapling assembly are indeedphysically aligned.

The endoscopic apparatus can be passed through any of the naturalorifices, such as the mouth, anus, or vagina, and thereby avoid the needfor the use of general anesthesia in performing procedures such as, forexample, removal of colonic polyps and small cancers, full thicknessbiopsies of gastric lesions, and treatment of gastroesphageal refluxdisease.

In order to illustrate the use of the apparatus of the invention, themedical procedure of performing an endoscopic fundoplication for thetreatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been chosen asan illustrative, but not limitative example. The symptoms and treatmentof GERD have been extensively described in the art and are alsodiscussed in the aforementioned International Patent Application, andwill not be discussed here in detail, for the sake of brevity.

The device of the invention has three distinct areas of operation: 1)the introduction procedure, to position it in the desired location priorto the mechanical operation; 2) the mechanical operation of the device,to distend the fundus of the stomach and to bring both parts of thestapler into exact alignment prior to the surgical operation; and 3) thesurgical operation involving the stapling of living tissue. Theseoperations will now be described in detail.

The Introduction Procedure

The procedure through which the endoscopic device is introduced into thestomach of the patient will be explained with reference to FIG. 2A, FIG.2B, and FIG. 13. The endoscopic device is introduced into the esophagusof the patient through the biter. The biter, shown in cross-section inFIG. 13 and generally indicated at 110, has a biting portion 111 whichis held between the teeth of the patient. The endoscopic device (notshown) is introduced through the biter via an appropriate opening 112.When in working position, the stapler module (at 1 in FIG. 2A) must belocated at a distance which typically varies between about 5-6 cm fromthe gastroesophageal junction (GJ). The GJ is identified, when firstintroducing the device, by visual inspection via the viewing means ofthe endoscope. The total length of the device introduced at this stageis determined by reading the value indicated on the positioning markings23, as also explained with reference to FIG. 2A. The endoscope isfurther advanced into the stomach. At this point, the stapler will belocated at the desired distance above the GJ. The endoscope is nowlocked in position by fixing it to the biter using conventional clampingmeans (not shown).

Mechanical Operation of the Device

The mechanical operation of the device involves the articulation of thebendable section of the device so as to engage the fundus of the stomachwith the distal tip, and to move it toward the lower esophagus. This isschematically illustrated in FIGS. 11 (A, B, and C). In FIG. 11A, twopositions of the device are shown, a and a′. Position a is the initialposition after the device has been inserted the whole of its desiredlength as explained above. Position a′ illustrates the beginning ofbending of articulation section 22 (FIG. 2A) of the device, towards thefundus 120, the tip being indicated as 24′.

In FIG. 11B, the articulation of the device has proceeded to the stagein which the distal tip 24 has encountered the wall of the fundus 120and started to pull it towards the lower region of the esophagus.

In FIG. 11C, the situation shown is that in which the articulation ofthe device has been almost completed, and the distal tip 24 has causedthe fundus 120 to move from its original position to a position near thelower esophagus. In this position, the fundus is correctly positioned bytip 24 and it is possible to carry out the stapling together of thefundus and esophagus.

FIG. 12 is a more detailed view of the situation when the articulationof the endoscope has been completed. Here is schematically shown thealignment between the staple cartridge 1, mounted in the proximal sideof the articulation section of the endoscope within the esophagus 130,and the anvil 1A mounted on the distal end 24 within the fundus 120.

Surgical Operation

The surgical operation will be illustrated herein with reference to thestapling of tissue. In order to fasten the lower part of the fundus 120(FIG. 12) to the lower part of the esophagus 130, by means of thestapling assembly, it is imperative that element 1 and element 1A bebrought into the correct working positioned relationship, so that thestaples, when fired, enter the anvil depressions accurately and performtheir required task. Failure to bring the parts of the stapling assemblyinto the correct positioned relationship may be detrimental, as it willresult in the staple not being correctly formed for retention and in ahigh risk of damaging the tissue where the stapling has been performed;furthermore, the aim of the procedure will not have been achieved, sincethe fundus has not been stapled to the esophagus.

As described above, in the preferred embodiment of the invention thatutilizes the two-way endoscope, the design of the device assures properalignment by articulating the device through its fixed bending radius.If so desired, the ultrasound or other techniques described herein areused to aid in alignment.

In other preferred embodiments of the invention that use four-wayendoscopes, one of such means must be used to align the two sections ofthe stapler. The surgeon is able to verify the positioning, the properdistention of the fundus towards the esophagus, and the results of thestapling, by using the visual means provided at the distal tip of theendoscope. If the endoscope is furnished with an optical systemaccording to the preferred embodiment of the invention described above,a second independent optical path is provided. Thus the surgeon can viewthe site from the side of the staple firing portion before and after thefiring has been accomplished. Further as the two parts of the staplerare pressed together, the tissue is pressed between them and it ispossible to see through the tissue allowing visual confirmation ofproper positioning and alignment of the device.

Final alignment is accomplished by deploying the locking pins that arelocated in the anvil portion of the stapler. The method of accomplishingthe deployment of the location/latching pins, in a preferred embodimentof the invention, can be understood by referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B and 6B.One distal cable is activated causing one of the plungers 31 to moveforward. The plunger in turn causes the pins 41 to move forward by meansof the rack 44 and pinion 45 gears. The pins pierce the tissue of thewalls of the fundus and esophagus and are guided by the beveled entranceinto the holes (64 in FIG. 6B) that are provided in the staplecartridge. Thus the final alignment of the two parts of the stapler isassured.

The techniques used to activate the plungers in the anvil section andalso the firing plunger in the staple cartridge holder are well known tothe man of the art and therefore will not be discussed here for the sakeof brevity. As the pins advance into the holes in the staple holder,they are engaged and locked by the pawls (65 in FIG. 6B). The cable thatadvances the pins is now relaxed and the other cable is then activatedto confirm the locking by the pawls, clamp the tissue, and provide thedesired tissue gap.

Measuring the distance between the staple cartridge and the anvil byusing ultrasonic techniques can be used to confirm the locking of thelocking pins by the pawls. In another embodiment of the invention, anelectronic safety mechanism is provided to prevent firing of the staplesif the location/locking pins are not locked by the pawls in the staplercartridge. The above mentioned International Patent Applicationdescribes a display system that shows the status of the staplingoperation. The sensors that are used to provide this visual informationcan also be employed to prevent accidental release of the staples.

FIG. 15A illustrates the situation at this stage of the surgicaloperation. The locking pins (collectively indicated at 150), that werestored in the anvil assembly 1A, have been deployed through the tissueof the fundus and esophagus walls, and have been locked into the socketsin the stapler cartridge 1. The locking pins not only assure properalignment, but also maintain the desired tissue gap during the stapling.The locking pins (or similar or equivalent locking means) are the reasonthat the stapler of this invention can function with a totally flexibleconnection between it's two sections as opposed to the rigid orsemi-rigid connection between the anvil and staple container/ejectorparts of the staplers of the prior art.

To fire an array of staples, a cable attached to the firing plunger (52in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B) is then pulled proximally. This pulls back thecross member (73 in FIGS. 7 and 8A to 8D) with the attached cams. Theprocess of firing the staples can be understood from FIGS. 8A to 8D. Asthe cam (70) moves proximally, its angled surface engages the angledsurface of the staple pusher (66) forcing the pusher to move sidewardstowards the wall of the cartridge and forcing the staple (63) out of theside of the cartridge through the tissue of the walls of the esophagusand stomach. The legs of the staple engage the depressions on the faceof the anvil and start to curl. FIGS. 8A through 8D show various stagesin the firing of one array of staples. After all staples of the arrayare fired, the release cams (71 in FIG. 7) exert force on the proximalend of the pawls to release the latching of the pins. The distal cablethat activated clamping is pulled to withdraw the pins into the anviland this phase of the surgical operation is completed.

FIG. 15B shows the situation after the stapling has been effected.Staples, (collectively indicated at 151), have engaged between thefundus and the esophagus, at the specific location on which it wasoperated.

The tiny holes in the tissue, that result from the action of thealignment and/or locking pins, are similar to holes produced byhypodermic needles, and seal themselves. The holes can be protected bythe staple above and below it. In a preferred embodiment, aconfiguration consisting of three rows of staples with the pinholesaligned with the middle row (such as that illustrated in FIG. 5B) ischosen to achieve this end.

FIG. 14A shows a staple before firing. FIG. 14B shows the configurationof the staple after the legs are curled in the anvil.

After inspecting the staples the surgeon now releases the articulationsection as needed and removes all clamping of tissue inside the stomach.The device is now rotated to the next location and thearticulation/aligning procedure is repeated.

The outer two of the three firing cams have spring biased tails thatallow the cams to move in one direction only. The firing plunger is nowpushed distally and since the cams cannot move in that direction, thiscauses the whole cartridge to index forward to position the second arrayopposite the anvil. As the cartridge moves distally, the angled portionson the housing slide out of the first set of windows on the side of thecartridge. Indexing is completed when said portions snap into the secondset of windows.

The process of final alignment, deploying and locking thelocation/locking pins, and firing the second array of staples isrepeated. In the case of the embodiment containing three arrays, thewhole process as described above is repeated a third time to completethe partial fundoplication. The number of arrays and/or firings dependson medical considerations that are in turn dependent upon factors suchas the medical procedure to be carried out and characteristics of thepatient.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the alignment and/or lockingpins and/or the locking pawls are made of a suitable material such asstainless steel as a safety measure. This material is strong enough toallow the parts to function as described in normal operation, but thepin tips can be broken by the force exerted by unbending thearticulating section in the event that the release cams fail to unlockthe pins.

After many repeated operations of the endoscope, it is possible thatwear of the parts, especially in the articulation section, will lead todifficulty in properly aligning the anvil on the distal tip with thestapler cartridge in the endoscope shaft. This difficulty can beovercome by displacing said portion of the stapling assembly along theaxis of the endoscopic device by various means. According to a preferredembodiment of the invention this is achieved by the action of a flexiblethreaded cable coupled with a female thread located in said portion ofthe stapling assembly. In one preferred embodiment of the invention theflexible threaded cable is located within the endoscopic device, and isin contact with the female thread through a slit provided in the wall ofthe body of the endoscopic device. In another alternative preferredembodiment of the invention the flexible threaded cable is embedded inthe external wall of the endoscopic device, and is in direct contactwith the female thread of the portion of the stapling assembly.

In one preferred form of the invention the flexible threaded cable isrotated using a micrometric assembly, thereby to displace the portion ofthe stapling assembly positioned within the esophagus by a controlleddistance.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the alignment and/orlocking pins of the hereinabove described embodiments are replaced byscrews. The changes in the anvil unit that this necessitates aredescribed with reference to FIGS. 16, 17, 18A, 18B, and 18C.

FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the distal section of theendoscope 160 showing the anvil section 162 and the stapler cartridge161 of the stapler. Parts of the stapler cartridge shown are: one of thefiring cams 165, a staple 167, and the corresponding staple pusher 166.The screw 171 is screwed out of the anvil and into the cartridge inorder to enable the stapling to be carried out. Numeral 164 designatesthe firing cable that is attached to plunger 163 that is in turnconnected to the cams in the staple cartridge.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the principal components ofthe replaceable part of the anvil unit, generally indicated by numeral170. The screws 171 have square heads 172. Numeral 173 indicates a tubewhose function is to transfer the rotary motion of a set of gears to theheads of the screws, thus causing the screws to rotate and advance outof the anvil. Tubes 173 are round on the outside and square on theinside. When the heads of the screws bottom on surfaces 176, continuedrotation pulls parts 177 with the anvil out of the distal end of theendoscope towards the cartridge. Numeral 174 designates the depressionson the face of the anvil that cause the curling of the staples. Thespring 175 pulls the anvil back into the distal end of the endoscopewhen the screws are retracted after disconnecting the anvil from thecartridge.

FIG. 18A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the anvil unit and ofthe cartridge, in the plane orthogonal to that of FIG. 16. FIG. 18Ashows the principal features of the cartridge 161 and anvil sections 162needed to describe the operation of the stapler. The top half of FIG.18A (above line X-X) shows the situation before the screws are advancedand the bottom half of the figure (below line X-X) shows the anvilconnected to the stapler after the staples have been fired. Numeral 160designates the endoscope and 183 and 184 two layers of tissue that areto be stapled together. In the case of the GERD operation, for example,183 is the tissue of the fundus and 184 of the esophagus.

The anvil section 162 is composed of two parts: the replaceable unit170, described with reference to FIG. 17, and parts, generallydesignated by 180, that are permanently mounted in the distal tip of theendoscope. Part 180 contains three gears 181 whose positions are shownby arrows in FIG. 18A and which are shown in detail FIG. 18B, which isan end view of the distal tip looking in the direction of the staplecartridge. The middle gear is connected to a screw drive cable 182 thatextends throughout the length of the endoscope and is rotated at theproximal end. The cable and means of operating it are well known in theart and will not be further described here. The two side gears are eachattached to one of the tubes 173. Thus rotation of the screw drive cablecauses rotation of the gears which causes the screws to advance orretract.

FIG. 18C shows a cross-section taken along the A-A plane of the anvilunit. Numeral 185 indicates nuts, through which screws 171 pass, andnumeral 186 a clutch system. The system shown in FIG. 18C initiallypilots the screw through the tissue and into the staple cartridge. Thenuts 185 have an outside sawtooth configuration. Thus, as rotationcontinues, they allow clamping. When retracting the screws, the nutscannot rotate. Therefore positive screw withdrawal is achieved.

The cartridge 161 contains several arrays of staples 167, staple pushers166, and firing cams 165 the operation of which has been describedhereinabove. Each array of staples is accompanied by two holes 182 intowhich the screws in the anvil section enter. The inside of the holes canbe threaded; but, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, thecartridge is made of plastic and the screws 171 are self tapping screwsthat create their own threads as they are advanced into the cartridge.The cartridge described for the embodiments of the invention that usealignment and/or locking pins can also be used with this embodiment,however, since the pawls and springs shown in FIG. 6B as well as the twooutside cams shown in FIG. 7 are unnecessary in the case of screws, amuch simpler to produce cartridge that doesn't include these parts ispreferred.

The sequence of operations that is followed in the use of thisembodiment of the invention will now be briefly described. The endoscopeis inserted into the patient and the articulation portion is now curledthrough 270°. Using ultrasonic techniques, as described in the abovereferenced International Patent Application PCT/IL01/00238, or by anyother suitable technique, the relative alignment of the cartridge andanvil are determined. If necessary, the alignment can be adjusted bypushing the staple firing cable to index the cartridge a little past thetheoretical alignment point and then, guided by the ultrasonics or othermeans, retracting the firing cable until exact alignment is achieved.Alternatively, if the original position is short of alignment, thefringing cable is pushed further, using conventional fine controls onthe cable, to achieve final alignment. The situation at this stage inthe operation is depicted in the upper half of FIG. 18A (above the X-Xline).

The screw drive cable is now rotated and, through the gearing, thescrews advance through the tissue and into the cartridge. Continuedrotation pulls (“telescopes”) the anvil from the distal end of theendoscope clamping the tissue. The distance between the anvil andcartridge is measured, for instance, by using the ultrasound system, asdescribed in PCT/IL01/00238, or by any other suitable means, and, if nofurther adjustments are necessary, the staple firing cable is pulled.Pulling the staple firing cable draws back the cams in the cartridgefiring the first array of staples. The situation at this stage of theoperation is depicted in the lower half of FIG. 18A (below the X-Xline), wherein 167′ shows a staple ejected from the cartridge throughthe layers of tissue and whose legs have been curled by being forcedinto the depressions on the face of the anvil.

The screw drive cable is now rotated in the opposite direction. Thiswithdraws the screws from the cartridge and tissue and the anvilretracts back into the distal end of the endoscope. The articulationsection is now straightened out and the staple cartridge indexed to thenext position and the second array of staples is now ready to bedeployed if so desired. While embodiments of the invention have beendescribed by way of illustration, it will be understood that theinvention can be carried out by persons skilled in the art with manymodifications, variations and adaptations, without departing from itsspirit or exceeding the scope of the claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A fastening device comprising: atissue-displacing assembly having a proximal end and distal endcomprising an elongated member; a fastener portion fixedly attached tosaid elongated member; an articulated section positioned distally of thefastener portion and a distal tip positioned distally of the articulatedsection at the device's distal end, both coaxial with said elongatedmember; one or more tissue-molding assemblies positioned distally of thearticulated section; wherein said tissue-displacing assembly moves in asingle plane when activated.
 2. A method for fastening a first layer oftissue to a second layer of tissue, said method comprising the followingsteps: (A) providing a fastening device comprising: a tissue-displacingassembly having a proximal end and distal end comprising an elongatedmember; a fastener portion fixedly attached to said elongated member; anarticulated section positioned distally of the fastener portion and adistal tip positioned distally of the articulated section at thedevice's distal end, both coaxial with said elongated member; one ormore tissue-molding assemblies positioned distally of the articulatedsection; wherein said tissue-displacing assembly moves in a single planewhen activated; (B) activating said tissue-displacing assembly in orderto displace said tissue such that said first layer of tissue issubstantially parallel to said second layer of tissue; (C) activatingsaid tissue-molding assembly such that said first layer of tissue andsaid second layer of tissue are substantially pressed against eachother; and (D) activating said fastener portion to insert one or moretissue fasteners through said first and said second layers of tissue.